Quick Glimpse
BACKGROUND
McDonough Hospital was established in 1958 and has a variety of medical offices throughout Macomb, Illinois. The Health Services Building 2 is home to 10 practices within a 28,000 square foot facility heated by a 50 horsepower Burnham hot water boiler.
PROBLEM
On Tuesday, January 26 at 1 in the afternoon, Ruyle Mechanical Services received a call that the boiler was leaking and not producing heat. Temperatures in Macomb were dropping below freezing and the medical offices would have to close if the boiler was not back on line soon.
SOLUTION
Ruyle technicians determined water was leaking from a welded structure in the rear corner called a “mud leg”. The repair was projected to take 2 to 3 days, and the facility would not have any heat until the boiler was fixed. Water leaks cause a drop in water pressure, which will make a heating system malfunction. Ruyle perfomed an ASME welding certified repair. The boiler was disassembled, old steel was removed and replaced with a new welded section of steel, then reassembled. Ruyle began performing the repairs early Wednesday, January 27. By 7 o’clock on Wednesday night, the repairs were completed and the boiler was once again producing heat.
“We were very close to completing the repairs within the first day, so we talked with the Head of Maintenance to check if overtime was allowed. Together we made the decision to stay.”
-Roger Strubhar, Ruyle Technician
RESULTS
With the speed of the repairs, the hard work of Ruyle technicians, and the cooperation between Ruyle and McDonough District Hospital staff, the Health Services Building 2 did not have to close down at all. Doctors were able to see their patients without having to reschedule. The boiler is no longer leaking and the offices are all maintaining a comfortable temperature. Since the actual repair time was only a fraction of the estimated repair time, the technicians did not have to
make extra trips, which reduced the price of the emergency repair.
“The response was effective and prioritized with urgency and commitment to assess and repair a catastrophic failure.”
-David Cady CHFM
MDH Engineering Plant Leader, McDonough District Hospital
